FEDERAL POST OFFICE.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 183, 28 April 1908, Page 7

FEDERAL POST OFFICE.

;■ ! ■ 1 • \ NON-POLITICAL BOARD. ■31 TELEQRAPH —?REG3 -ASSOCIATION— COPYBIOHI. Holboume, April 27. . Tho Federal Ministry is of opinion that the Postal Department should be handed over to the control of a board of cominis'siohcrs. ' GROWTH OF EXPENDITURE. ' : .There is io doubt that the Postal Department' has been something of a nightmare to Federal,' Ministers, lone hefore. it, was .the;, means of' precipitating the recent crisis. 'T, can't resist giving a.notb bf warning,"'said'the Treasurer (Sir William Lyne) in -ontT'of the"recent debates, that by, rushing Expenses up it .'mayprove the high, road to a very strong retrenchment',agitation;-'. If it , had not been .for this elastic revehuo from the 'tariff., -I. don't.: Mow where , the Postal Department would have be'eh." The, Postmaster-General (Mr: Mauger) gave somo fi£ures:ih, which- h'e^'tated : thixt the increase in; .the. revenue of 'his depaftnle'nt ,was : 4. per c6nt. f0r.1903-4, tho same for 1904-S, 7 per cent; for-.1905-6i 10 per cent. fo'r'l9oß-7,,'and 11, per cent, for 1907-8. ,-According to tho'Estimate's,' the .expenditure, he, 'declared,' had in'creased at the rate, of 4 peiy'cent; for .1902-3, over. th 6, previous, year, 5 per cent. ! for 19034, .8 per cent.'for 1904-5,-3 per cent; for 1905-6, and 6 per cent, for 1900-7. And, added' Mr. Mauger, tho Commonwealth must he prepared to face further^'increases-of expenditure.